1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to presentation projectors for projecting computer generated presentations and other images to a viewing surface. In particular, the present invention relates to technology that enables the remote administration and control of presentation projector resources in a networked enterprise.
2. Background Information
The widespread acceptance of using computers to facilitate group communications has created a large demand for devices that project computer displays. As a result, corporate enterprises have installed sophisticated projector equipment in many workplace conference rooms, or provide access to portable presentation equipment that can be used in conference rooms as needed. To display their presentations, users tote portable computers such as laptops into the conference room, and connect to the projector using a serial cable or other communication link.
Another trend in the use of computers to facilitate group communications is the extension of the corporate network into the conference room, thereby providing access to the resources of the entire corporate enterprise. In a natural next step, many conference rooms are now equipped with a permanently installed conference room computer that functions as a xe2x80x9cprojector server.xe2x80x9d Connected to both the network and the projector, the projector servers have easy access to other computers, online storage, printers, intranets, and the Internet. With virtually all internal corporate resources and the external resources of the Internet available from all corporate conference rooms, the full benefits of computer-based presentation start to emerge.
Despite these advances in conference room technology, the logistics of properly setting up the projector server and projection equipment can still be a difficult task. Users may be unfamiliar with the proper procedure to set up the projector or the projector server, or with the proper use of the remote control device used to operate the projector. Unexpected problems may arise, such as bulb or other equipment failure. There may also be security concerns with transferring presentation files to the conference room projector server, or scheduling concerns with providing controlled access to presentation projector resources. What is still missing is true integration. Just as an effective system is not merely a collection of components that must be xe2x80x9cintegratedxe2x80x9d by a user before every use, an effective conference room presentation system is not merely a collection of projection equipment, cables, and networked computers. True integration of the presentation projector in the modern corporate enterprise is a presentation system that solves the larger problem of managing and controlling computer-based presentation projector resources.
There are a number of devices that attempt to facilitate the management and use of computer-based presentation projector resources that are known in the art. For example, there are software applications developed for the projector server that provide a user-friendly graphical user interface to the hardware features of the presentation projection equipment. Such applications can automatically synchronize the resolution of the projector server to the presentation projector and adjust other hardware settings such as color, brightness, etc. One of the many limitations of these prior art applications is that they are principally standalone applications dedicated to the control of only the currently connected presentation projector equipment. Prior art projector server applications do not take advantage of recent advances in networking technologies, including web-based technology for distributing applications over a corporate intranet. While the prior art projector server applications may succeed in making the projector easier to use, they simply do not address the larger problem of managing and controlling the use of computer-based presentation projector resources in a networked enterprise.
Accordingly, a new approach to providing remote projection administration and control that facilitates the maintenance, operation and security of enterprise presentation projector equipment is desirable. What is needed is a way to truly integrate presentation projector resources into the corporate enterprise network, as have printers and other types of peripheral equipment. Administrators will save significant time and energy not only by keeping the equipment properly maintained and secured, but also by helping to solve routine setup problems encountered by users, and by allowing the debugging of such problems from a remote location. Users will be able to more easily prepare for presentations by not only remotely sending the necessary presentation files to the appropriate conference room, but also by automatically configuring the projector with the proper settings for their presentation in advance of the scheduled presentation. The integration of presentation projector resources in the corporate enterprise network in an effective and user-friendly way presents a unique set of challenges, requiring a new and novel solution.
According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided in which a client remotely locates and controls the operation and administration of a presentation projector resource in an enterprise network. A projector server facilitates the remote location and control of the presentation projector by the client using data obtained from interfaces to the projector equipment and the other projector servers on the network, as well as data stored on a repository accessible to the projector server. The projector server serves the data to the clients using the facilities of a graphical user interface such as a browser-based Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP)/web server.